Cross member assemblies of this type in a vehicle or on a vehicle body are generally known, for example from DE 10 2006 004 045 A1, in which a longitudinal member is bifurcated in such a way that one of its bifurcated member arms is connectable to a footwell cross member. This footwell cross member is made of a double sheet metal part having an upper sheet metal part and a lower sheet metal part and is connected in its central area to the end side of a central tunnel via a connecting point. Based on the hollow profile design of the footwell cross member, due to the double sheet metal, impact forces acting upon the lower longitudinal member may be additionally conducted to the central tunnel in the rear area of the vehicle via the bifurcated member arm connected thereto and via the footwell cross member.
Furthermore, a floor member assembly in a motor vehicle is known from DE 102 32 841 A1, in which a front cross member extends transversely to the vehicle longitudinal axis between two side sills of the vehicle body and is fixedly connected thereto. Longitudinal members are situated between the two sills, these longitudinal members, in turn, extending from the vehicle front end to the back beneath a floor panel that seals the passenger cell from below. These longitudinal members butt against the end plate of the front cross member by a large profile cross section and are subsequently guided beneath the floor panel, offset in height by a comparatively smaller profile cross section, the front cross member being fixed by web plates to sills having cutouts. This is intended, on the one hand, to ensure a footwell which is protected against deformation and, on the other hand, to transfer occurring forces to components beneath the passenger cell in a defined manner via the longitudinal members and the front cross member.
A footwell cross member assembly is furthermore known from US 2008/0238148 A1, in which the footwell cross member essentially extends over the entire width of the vehicle and is connected between side sills. The force, in this case, is transferred, in particular, to the side sill area and from there to the rear passenger cell area.
A footwell cross member is also known from EP 1 437 291 B1, which is adjoined by a cross element, profiled in a stepped manner, in the direction of the front longitudinal members, the cross element engaging with corresponding recessed sections of the front longitudinal member by its stepped, chamfered edges and also connecting so-called front suspension element holders to each other. Together with the footwell cross member, the cross element forms a hollow profile-like cross section in partial areas. The pedestrian cross member has a smooth structure in relation to the passenger compartment or in relation to the member components adjacent thereto.